Triple H

–A video package hypes tonight’s main event for the WWF title between Diesel and Bam Bam Bigelow. Vince McMahon plays up that Sid is not happy that Bigelow is getting a title shot prior to In Your House.

–Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler are doing commentary and they are live from Omaha, Nebraska. Historyofwwe.com notes that of the 5,800 that attended the tapings, only 4,000 paid.

–Vince McMahon hypes today’s battle between the Smoking Gunns and the Shoguns (Hakushi and Kwang).

–McMahon and Dok Hendrix – the name that the WWF has given to Michael Hayes – have the commentary duties and they are still in Glen Falls, New York. This is Hayes’s debut as the company chose him to fill color commentary duties over others that they reportedly auditioned, which included Shane Douglas.

With a few work-related obligations out of the way for the immediate future that absorbed the last month of my time, we return to the WWF in 1995. We are less than twenty-four hours away from the Royal Rumble in Tampa, Florida, but before we get there we have “go home” broadcast of Wrestling Challenge.

–Gorilla Monsoon and Ted DiBiase are in the booth and are still in Liberty, New York.

With less than two weeks to go before Summerslam, it might be nice to add a few matches to the card. Unless I’m missing something, all we have at the moment is Rock vs. Lesnar and HHH vs. Shawn Michaels. While those are both big matches, you need more than that to fill out a show. I mean, Shawn and HHH might disagree but not everyone thinks like they do. Let’s get to it.

We might be in for a major announcement this week as new WWE World Champion the Undertaker has suggested that Hulk Hogan will be retiring tonight. I know 2002 was a different time but does anyone believe that Hogan’s retirement is coming on a regular Smackdown in Mississippi? Let’s get to it.

A comprehensive look back at every episode of WWE Monday Night Raw and Smackdown from the first half of 2014, starting at the beginning of January and wrapping up at the end of April. This is a very interesting time in WWE history as we witnessed the rise of Daniel Bryan and the Shield as the new generation was taking the company by storm. The first part of the year culminated in the huge Wrestlemania XXX and was followed by a game changing fallout. In this book, every episode of both shows in the first half of 2014 is reviewed in full, complete with analysis, ratings and complete content included.

The book sells for $3.99 or the equivalent in other currencies. In case you don’t have a Kindle, there are plenty of FREE apps you can get from Amazon for pretty much any electronic device, all of which are available at this link.

–A video package recaps the tensions building between the Rock and Paul Wight, whose nickname has been changed to “The Big Show” instead of the “The Big Nasty.” We are also reminded that the Undertaker is going after Vince McMahon.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are in the booth and they are live from San Jose, California.

–WWF Champion The Rock opens the show and he tells Steve Austin that he will prove his status as “The Great One” at WrestleMania. He demands that Vince McMahon come out and prove to him that the Big Show is not working with Austin. McMahon complies and says that “Dwayne” needs a reality check for being ungrateful for all that McMahon has given him. He says that three generations of his family have looked after the Rock’s ancestors and that Paul Wight is not as quick to understand the existing agreement. Wight comes out and demands to know what McMahon is talking about, threatening he and the Rock. McMahon does not kindly to that, leading Wight to manhandle him into a corner to get his point across. McMahon collects himself and books the Rock and Wight to team up to face Mankind and Steve Austin, thereby making this a preview of WrestleMania. The Rock and Wight shake hands to end the segment at McMahon’s behest.

–A video package recaps the Undertaker’s recent threats against Vince McMahon, culminating in the Undertaker burning a teddy bear at the end of last week’s RAW.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are doing commentary and they are live from Cleveland, Ohio.

–The Corporation comes out and Vince McMahon discusses how the audience does not understand his capacity to love. He fires Kane for losing the inferno match to the Undertaker last week and has orderlies come down to send Kane to the insane asylum. However, Chyna comes to Kane’s aid and they fight them off. Chyna tells McMahon that she can control Kane and asks for Kane to be booked against Steve Austin, with Kane’s job on the line. McMahon counters by also putting Chyna’s job on the line. Mankind then joins the festivities and volunteers to referee the Steve Austin-Kane match to prove himself worthy of refereeing the title match at WrestleMania XV. McMahon agrees on the condition that Mankind is able to defeat the Undertaker on tonight’s show (this is later clarified in the broadcast to mean that McMahon will consider Mankind for the role at WrestleMania based on how the match goes). The Undertaker’s voice then comes on via the loudspeakers and he says that he has already told McMahon what he is going to take from him.

–A video package recaps the Rock winning the WWF title in a ladder match against Mankind on last week’s show.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are in the booth and they are taped from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

–Vince McMahon comes out to hype tonight’s Inferno Match between the Undertaker and Kane. He welcomes Paul Wight to the ring, who is booked to be the guest referee at WrestleMania. Cole is trying to get Wight over as “The Big Nasty,” so I guess it is good that “The Big Show” name was chosen instead. WWF Champion The Rock also comes out, quickly getting into a verbal confrontation with Wight, telling him to “Know his role.” McMahon’s efforts at playing peacemaker get nowhere until Mankind marches onto the stage and volunteers to referee the WrestleMania main event, as well as referee a Rock-Wight encounter tonight. Wight then proceeds to challenge the Rock to a match, which the Rock gladly accepts and he says he will put the WWF title on the line too.

–A series of narrated photographs recaps last night’s St. Valentine’s Day Massacre pay-per-view.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are in the booth and they are live from Birmingham, Alabama.

–Commissioner Shawn Michaels comes out and welcomes out the participants in the WrestleMania main event: WWF Champion Mankind and Steve Austin. Before anything can be said between them, Vince McMahon interrupts, wearing a neck brace and selling his beating from Austin the previous night. McMahon claims to be a broken man and that he wants a fresh start with Austin on the condition that Austin apologizes. Austin does apologize, but only for beating McMahon more than he intended. McMahon tells Michaels that people deserve a WWF title rematch between Mankind and the Rock because their match last night ended in a draw so he needs to do his job and book it for tonight. Mankind says he needs a week to recover, bringing out the Rock, who continues to goad Michaels into booking a title match for this evening. Mankind decides to take on the Rock after all and to make sure that there is a winner Michaels announces that tonight’s title match will be a ladder match. After that, McMahon welcomes out Paul Wight, who he says will be the special guest referee of the title match at WrestleMania. Austin simply flips him off from the ring to end the segment.

So after being away for several months due to some work obligations, “What the World Was Watching” returns by picking up where we left off in 1999. The Steve Austin-Vince McMahon rivalry is continuing and they are set to do battle in a steel cage match where if Austin loses then he surrenders his WrestleMania title shot. The Undertaker is busy with his Ministry of Darkness nonsense and Mankind is keeping the Rock busy before WrestleMania.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are doing commentary and they are live from Memphis, Tennessee.

–Even though it is the height of the Attitude Era, RAW was still being pre-empted by the Westminster Dog Show. As a result, this is Saturday Night Raw. At least it is in Skydome and that is always a cool visual.

–A video package recaps the Austin-McMahon feud from the Royal Rumble up to last week’s show.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “the King” Lawler are in the booth and they are taped from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is the “go home” show for St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

–Footage of Mankind defeating the Rock for the WWF title during Halftime Heat is shown. There was a spoiler for that match since this show was taped nearly a week before that match aired.

–Shane McMahon tells the Corporation that Vince McMahon is on a separate assignment in Texas, so he lets them know that he is in charge. Test, Ken Shamrock, and the Big Bossman have no idea where Kane is.

–Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler are in the booth and they are taped from Tucson, Arizona.